repulsive

Repulsive is an adjective describing something that arouses aversion, disgust, or strong disapproval. It is used to characterize people, behavior, or objects that provoke negative reactions. In physics and chemistry, repulsive describes forces or interactions that push bodies or particles apart rather than drawing them together.

In physics, repulsive forces oppose attraction. A classic example is electrostatic repulsion: like charges, such as two protons or two electrons, exert forces that push each other away. Coulomb's law quantifies this interaction. Magnetic poles of the same polarity also repel, while opposite poles attract. Gravitational interaction is universally attractive, not repulsive, under normal conditions.

In chemistry and molecular physics, repulsion occurs between electron clouds, leading to electron-electron repulsion that contributes to the arrangement of electrons in atoms and molecules. Steric repulsion arises when atoms or groups approach too closely, increasing potential energy and influencing molecular geometry. The Pauli exclusion principle can produce effective repulsion by preventing fermions from occupying the same quantum state.

In everyday language, repulsive describes things that provoke moral or aesthetic objection, such as reprehensible conduct or unpleasant appearances. Etymology traces repulsive to Latin repellere 'to drive back' and repulsus 'driven back.'